1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antifungal activity of extracts from Morinda citrifolia L. and formulated in a naturaceutical composition. In particular, the present invention relates to mean inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of selected Morinda citrifolia puree and juice and various compositions or formulations comprising one or more Morinda citrifolia products for treatment of fungal activity in mammals.
2. Background of the Invention and Related Art
Despite the existence of tens of thousands of antimicrobial compounds, the ability of microorganisms to develop resistance to even the most recent and powerful antimicrobial compounds or treatments is amazingly rapid. In order to keep pace with this ever increasing need for new antimicrobials, it is imperative that new compounds be discovered. Some of these may even come from unusual sources. A review of the history of the development of antimicrobials indicates that there are actually very few instances of new classes of compounds being isolated using a “top down” approach involving massive screening. Most of the antibiotics available today have actually been created using a “bottom up” approach, meaning in short that they have been synthesized from component parts upon identification and isolation of a single structure.
Perhaps the most famous example of this is Penicillin. Contrary to popular belief, the antimicrobial properties of Penicillium molds had been known since the 1850's. In 1928 Alexander Fleming made the observation that the mold was producing a chemical substance that inhibited staphylococcal growth. Despite the fact that penicillin represented a measurable portion of the products produced during Penicillium fermentation, it took until 1945 before the structure was actually identified. It took approximately ten more years, before penicillin could be obtained in a form that could allow its chemical modification. Once this step had been accomplished however, it paved the way for hundreds of useful penicillin class antibiotics. These included methicillin, oxacillin, ampiciflin, piperacillin, and many others.
Still today, there are other types or strains of bacteria and fungus that are harmful to the health of the individuals they infect. As such, there remains a need for new discoveries and treatment solutions and methods for combating these bodily invaders.